Distribution: A Weak Link in Gun Control?

Adding to the complexity of the gun-control debate, a new study suggests that guns make their way into the hands of criminals partly because arms manufacturers don't use secure distribution channels for their products.

Kevin D. Bradford, an associate professional specialist in marketing at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, led the study of how guns were used in violent crimes and what kinds of safeguards gun manufacturers had in place for distribution.

“The gun industry is cloaked in secrecy,” Bradford said, “We found that 1 percent of gun dealers are responsible for 45 to 60 percent of guns involved in crimes. These dealers divert new guns [that are] intended for responsible owners to those [people] that gun restrictions are meant to keep away from the weapons.”